Vacuum cleaner muffler



July 30, 1940. A. E. NoRRls VACUUI CLEANER IUFFLER Original Filed Feb. 27, 1957 ,l lNvENToR l 771 fkf E. Afa/mls ATTORNEYS WITN ESS 15%@ f Renued July 30, 1940 PATENT OFFICE VACUUM CLEANER MUFFLEB Alfred E. Norris, Westileld, N. J., assignor to The Regina Corporation, Railway. N. J., a corporation of New Jersey No. 2,125,850, med aum: z. 193s, se-

rial No. 128,108, February 21, 1937.

Application for reissue November 1, 1939, Serial No.

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner of the usual household type consisting of an ambulant frame, motor, suction fan, suction nozzle, dust bag, and a handle attached to the frame for guiding the cleaner over the surface to be cleaned.

More particularly. the invention relates to a novel construction of muffler incorporated in the bag of the standard` type of such apparatus. Such muiiier structure is designed for effectively reducing to an appreciable extent the noise emitted by the vacuum cleaner in operation and is characterized by certain features of construction such as the manner of supporting the same within the dust bag of the vacuum cleaner, conducive to producing the most efilcient and eiective` functioning of the muiller, while at the same time contributing in large'measure to the sturdiness of the structure and its ability to withstand shocks to which it may be subjected in the ordinary course of use of the cleaning device. My novel form of muilier structure and its support in the dust bag are characterized also by certain advantages, 'for instance in facilitating the operation of cleaning the dust bag.

The general form and structure of my novel mullier device is that described and shown in the application-of Ernest J. Abbott, Serial No. 89,568, nled July 8, 1936, in which such general form of muflier structure is included inra blower unit, for instance, a vacuum cleaner, for the purpose of effecting a marked reduction in the usual noises emitted by a blower unit during its operation.

The present invention embodies certain improvements in thecconstruction and the manner of supporting a muler of such general type and is designed to overcome certain disadvantages attendant in the use of a muiller which does not embody the particular features of novelty hereinafter to be described.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a muiiler structure of unitary construction, including a means, integral with the body of the mullet, for connecting such body with the collar constituting the ingress means lor the air blown through the dust bag.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a unitary muiiler structure. including a resilient mounting therefor, in which the entire muiller and its resilient mounting are positioned within the dirt collecting portion of the dust bag.

By means of this construction, any pivotal force,

appliedto the handle attached to the frame of the cleaner, in guiding the .cleaner over-the surface to be cleaned, is transmitted to the muiiler -of my invention, to prevent, when the connec.

directly through the dust bag and functions to flex the muiiier, through its resilient mounting,` within the bag.v

One form of connection as between the -body of the muflier structure and such ingress collar, 5 as disclosed and described in the Abbott application hereinabove referred to, is a rubber tube disposed between the outer periphery of the dust bag collar and the turned-in portion of the mouth of the dust bag. The muiiler in such construction 10 is constituted of a perforated cylindrical screen surrounded by a packing of wood fibre, the nbre and the screen being contained Within an outer shell.

I have found that when employing a rubber -15 tube as such connecting means, if such tube is sufficiently nexible to readily conform with all positions that the bag may assume while the cleaner is in use, the rubber connecting tube will tend to collapse when and as the muilier 20 moves out of alignment with the central line of discharge, thereby constricting the passage through the tube and interfering with the free passage of air. On the other hand, if the tubing is made sumciently rigid to prevent this 25 tendency to collapse, the muilier because of its, more rigid position in the bag, will interfere with the normal operation of the bag.

In accordance with my invention, therefore, I

employ a novel construction of exible tubing 30 which is in the form of an accordion or bellows. and in the preferred embodiment of my invention, such accordion-like iiexible tubing is integral with the casing of the muilier within which the perforated cylindrical screen and wood fibre packing are contained. In this manner, I secure a exible connection between the mumer body and the dust bag collar, which is provided with means, pleats in the now-preferred embodiment non or tubing is bent, any, alteration of the 4" effective cross-sectional area of such tubing.

A specific embodiment of the novel structure of a dust bag muiiier constructed in accordance with my invention is'illustrated in the accom- 45 panying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of a typical standard type of vacuum cleaner; Fig. 2 isra sectional detail'view of a portion of the dust bag of such cleaner to which the muilier constructed in accordance with my invention has 50 been applied; Fig-3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail of the manner of securement of the muiiier structure to the dust bag.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, in 55 '32 is formed with a which similar reference characters identify similar parts in the several views, Il is the ambulant frame of the vacuum cleaner comprising a case or housing H for a horizontal motor, and a suc- Y tion fan housing I2. 'Ihe frame Il and motor case II are molmted on pairs of wheels I2 supporting the forward end of the frame and a pair of wheels Il supporting the rear portion of the frame and more particularly the motor case Il. j A downwardly turned suction nomle il protrudes forwardly from the ambulant frame. From the fan housing I2 extends a dust discharge pipe It to which is connected the usual dust bag Il used with this type of vacuum cleaner. Pivotally mounted upon the shaft near the ends of which are secured the wheels Il, is the forked member Il to which is connected the tubular handle I9 having the handle grip ,20 and within which is secured a portion of the electric cable 2|.

Secured to the end of the discharge pipe II by a bayonet joint is a dust bag collar 22. To such dust bag collar are secured, as shown clearly in Figs. `2 and 4, the dust bag I'I and the muiller housed therein by means oi' a collar attachment wire 23 and a rubber ring 2l stinened by a wire core 25.

'Ihe end of the dust bag collar extends into the dust bag I'I and has secured to the outer periphery thereof a rubber tube 2| constituting a portion of the molded rubber housing of the munler structure. Such rubber tube encompasses both the turned-in portion of the mouth of the dust, bag and the dust bag collar, being secured in position byrivets 21-21.

The portion of the muiller housing designated as the rubber tube 26, is formed with a plurality of pleated sections 2l, which sections form an accordion-like tubing, the peripheral wall of such tube in longitudinal section being formed of a plurality of bends, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

In the partciular embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the tube 26 as shown, is constituted of an accordion-like memberhavingthree pleats, but it is obvious that any number of such pleats may be employed, solong as a bellows effect is secured for the purposes hereinafter to be fully described. Near the end of the accordion-like tube structure, removed from the dust bag collar, there is secured, so as to have the end thereof enter the rubber tube, a perforated cylindrical screen 2l.` The portion of the rubber tube 2l which extends over and upon the end of the perforated screen iscrimped oversuchend bymeansotawirel. Surrounding the perforated screen 2l is a packing of wood nbre 3| contained within the outershell 32, which is preferably of rubber and preferably integrally molded with the tube 2C so as to constitute a housing for the pachng of wood nbre and lperforated screen. The outer shell mouth Il overlying the end of the perforated screen remote from that which is secured to the tube 2l. 'I'he end portion of the outer shell forming such mouth and which is in contact with the perforatedv screenv is crimped over the end oi such perforated screen nndissecured thereto bymeansofa wire".

Molded integrally with the rubber outer shell 32 and extending from the mouth portion thereof Il, are two tabsV Ii. 3| for a purpose hereinafter. more specifically referred to. To one of such naps 3l, being that which is the uppervone when the muiiier structure is secured within the vacuum cleaner dust bag. is secured by rivet Il. a tape II which at its other end is secured tothe inner face of the dust bag `Thus, it will be seen thatif ata point which will permit the munler structure, including its flexible connectiomto be supported within the dust bag in such position as to have the axis of the muiller, and more particularly the axis of the cylindrical perforated screen, substantially in alignment with the egrees end of the discharge pipe Ii. as is clearly shown in Fig. l. y

The muiiier' constructed in accordance with my invention, therefore, comprises a molded outer shell or housing, a portion of which is constituted of a rubber tube of accordion-like structure having a bellows connguration which extends from the dust bag collar, a length of perforated screening extending from the end of ,such rubber tube and housed within the outer shell of molded rubber, and a quantity of Vwood nbre packed between the shell and perforated screen. The wood nbre is packed in such manner as to have its nbre disposed radially of the and outer shell.

'Ihe novel muillerstructure just described, inciuding an acoustic absorption material is eiective in reducing the noise produced by thevacuum cleaner in operation and is effective so as to reduce such noise without interference with the nltering function of the bag and without any interference with the air nowing therethrough.

The novel construction of dust bag muiiler in which the flexible connection of the muiller to the air inlet is constituted of an accordion-like tube, has a number of advantages which will now be more specincally set forth. I v

As hereinabove stated, when an ordinary rubber tube is used as a nexibleconnection. such ordinary rubber tube will tend to collapse when and as the muiiler moves out of alignment with the central line of discharge and constrict the perforated screen passage through the tube. By forming such connecting tubing in the form of a bellows structure or, as hereinabove described. with a plurality of pleats so as to form such tube in the shape of an accordion, the mumer can be supported by such tube connection without the tube collapsing, no matter to what extent the tube may be bent. the position of the muiiler structure is to any extent changed from that in which itis in perfect alignment with the central line of the discharge pipe It, the eifective cross-sectional area of the passage through the connecting tube will be maintained constant, as no collapsing of such connecting tube can take place, there being sunicient material provided by the pleats to take care of any extension at any point along the length of the tube.

The flexible connection as particularly described hereinabove, has the additional advantage that 'in the course of cleaning the dust bag, which operation includes the removal of the dust and dirt collected therein, the muilier structure itself acts in the nature oi' a bell clapper. In performing the cleaning operation, the dust bag containing the muiiier structure is removed from the frame and may be held by the collar 22 and the dust bag shaken. The accordion-pleated flexible connection between the muilier structure and the dust bag collar will permit the muiiier structure to act as a bell clapper, striking the sides ofthe dust bag while the bag is being shaken so as to loosen particles ofdustand dirt which have adhered to the sides of the bag.

Ihe dust bag structureand novel connection thereof which, in accordance with my preferred embodiment. are constituted of a single piece of molded rubber forming the connecting tube and the outer shell, has the additional advantage of being capable of withstanding the many knocks to which the vacuum cleaner is subjected both during use of the cleaner and during the operation oi cleaning the dust bag. Furthermore. by making the outer shell of the muiiier structure of rubber, molded in one piece with the flexible connection, an y wearing of the bag by contact with the inner surface thereof by a metallic shell, is prevented.

The molding of the outer shell in one piece with the flexible connecting tube also permits easy and rapid assembly of the muiiier structure. By providing the flaps 35 and 36 at the mouth of the rubber shell 32, there are provided means by which the mouth of the outer shell may be extended with facility for the introduction into the shell of the perforated cylindrical screen Il through such mouth and the easy and rapid packing of the wood fibre into the space between the perforated cylinder and the outer shell. This is accomplished by grasping the two flaps 35 and IC and pulling them apart to an extent sumcient to enlarge the mouth of the shell to permit the insertion of the perforated tube and then the packing of wood libre. When the flaps are released, the mouth will be again contracted so as to overlie the peripheral surface of the perforated screen and the wire 34 may then be secured in place.

Mention has been made hereinbefore of the eil'ect of the dust bag muiller structure, just described, in reducing the noise emitted by the vacuum cleaner during operation. This is due in great measure to the use of a rubber shell which serves, together with the -accordion-pleated ment and conguration of the several elements described, without departing from my invention.

i. A muiiier structure, comprising an acoustic absorption material, for the dust bag of a vacuum cleaner, including a ilexible tube connection between the muilier elements and the dust bag collar, said flexible tube connection having means to prevent any alteration in the effective interior cross-sectional area of the tube when such tube is bent, the entire muiiler and its ilexible tube connection being ,positioned within the dirtiiltering portion of said dust bag.

2. A muilier structure, comprising an acoustic absorption material, for the dust bag of a vacuum cleaner, including a resilient mounting therefor, said resilient mounting having means to prevent any alteration in the effective interior crosssectional area thereof when lit is bent, the entire muiiler and its resilient mounting being positioned withinthe dirt-filtering portion of said dust bag.

3. A muilier structure for the dust bag of a vacuum cleaner comprising a cylindrical perforated screen, a body of fibrous material surrounding the screen, an outer shell containing said screen and said body oi'uiibrous material and a flexible connection between said outer shell and the collar of the'dust bag, said outer shell and piece of molded rubber.

4. A muiiler structure for the dust bag of a vacuum cleaner comprising a. cylindrical perforated screen, a body of iibrous material surrounding the screen, an outer shell containing said screen and said body of fibrous material and a flexible connection between said outer shell and the dust bag collar, which exible connection comprises a rubber tube provided with means to maintain constant, when said tube is bent, the eifective interior cross-sectional area of the air passage within said tube, said outer shell and said flexible connection being formed of a single piece of molded rubber.

5. In a vacuum cleaner, an 'ambulant frame, electric motor, suction fan, suction nozzle and a dust bag, said dust bag having a. muffler structure, comprising an acoustic absorption material, re` siliently mounted therein by means of an accordion-like rubber tube, the entire muiller and its resilient mounting being positioned within the dirt-filtering portion oi said dust bag, whereby any pivoting force exerted upon the bag is transmitted through the bag to flex the muiller.

6. A muilier structure for the dust bag of a vacuum cleaner, comprising an outer shell containing an acoustic absorption material and a resilient mounting therefor, said resilient mounting having means to prevent any alteration in the effective interior cross-sectional area thereof when it is bent, the entire muilier and its resilient mounting being positioned within the dirtflltering portion of said dust bag, said outer shell being provided with a constricted mouth having a pair of tabs by means of which said mouth may 7. A muiiier structure as claimed in claim 3 in which the outer shell is provided with a constricted mouth having a pair of tabs by means of which said mouth may be enlarged.

8. A muilier structure for the dust bag of a vacuum cleaner, comprising an outer shell containing an acoustic absorption material and a resilient mounting therefor, said resilient mounting having means to prevent any alteration in the eective interior cross-sectional area thereof when it is bent, the entire muiller and its resilient mounting being positioned within the dirt-nitering-portion of said dust bag, said outer shell being provided with a constricted mouth having a. tab and a tape connection between said tab and a point on the interior surface of the dust `bag'for supporting the muler structure in a position of alignment with the dust discharge pipe of the 9. A muilier structure as claimed in claim 3 in which the outer shell is provided with a constricted mouth having a tab and a tape connection between said tab and a point on the interior surface of the dust.bag for supporting the muler structure in av position of alignment with the dust discharge pipe of the bag.

10. A muffler structure for the dust bag of a vacuum cleaner, comprising an outer shell containing an acoustic absorption material and a resilient mounting therefor, said resilient mounting having means to prevent any alteration in the effective interior cross-sectional area thereof when it is bent, the entire muiiier and its resilient mounting being positioned within the dirtltering portion of said dust bag, said outer shell being provided with a constricted mouth having a pair of tabs by means of which said mouth may be enlarged, and a tape connection between said exible connection being formed of 'a single Gir one oi said tabs and a point on the interior surface oi the dust bag i'or supporting the muilier vstructure in a position oi' alignment with the dust discharge pipe of the bag.

l1. A muiiier structure as claimed in claim 3 in which the outer shell is provided with a constricted mouth having a pair of tabs by means ot which said mouth may be enlarged, and a tape connection between one of said tabs and a point of the interior surface of the dust bag for sup-A porting the muilier structure in a position of alignment with the dust discharge pipe of the bag 12. A muiller structure for the dust` bag of a vacuum cleaner comprising a cylindrical perforated screen, a body of an acoustic absorption material surrounding the screen and an outer shell oi' a single piece of molded rubber containing said screen and said body oi' acoustic absorption material.

l3. A muiler structure as claimed in claim l2 in which the outer shell is provided with a constricted mouth having a pair of tabs by means o! which said mouth may be enlarged.

stricted mouth having a pair of tabs by means oi 10 which said mouth may be enlarged, and a tape connection between one of said tabs and a point on the interior surface of the dust bag for supporting the muiller structure in a position of alignment with the dust discharge pipe of the 15 bag lili. In a vacuum cleaner, a dust bag having a collar, a muiiler comprising an acoustic absorption material, an outer shell containing said muiiier and a flexible connection between said 20 muiller and dust bag collar, said flexible connection and outer shell being integral.

ALFRED E. NORRIS. 

